Holiday
by McMagicG12
Summary: This is my much darker take on the Harry Potter/Inuyasha crossover. Harry comes to Hogwarts to find that there's a new student, and he just knows that she is just evil. But, is he wrong? And, is he really the Boy Who Lived like he thinks?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own neither J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter nor Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha. Simply put.

AN: This is an idea that has been stewing for a long time, and, although I did a rough sketch of the original idea, this is going a bit differently than expected. If anyone wants the original summaries to try that, I'd be interested in seeing a different version of this story. For this story, I altered a bit of the timelines for each story. First of all, Voldemort isn't nearly as old as he is in the canon. I'm aware that he's somewhere near his eighties when in the canon, which makes me question his abilities, but, in this alternate universe, Tom Riddle Jr. was the first born, about thirty-five to forty years prior to this point. His parents are still dead, and he still lived in an orphanage, but he was not alone.

Chapter One:

The First Holidays

The living room was tense, and the little girl standing behind the man was very confused as to why. Glancing around, she tried to see what was different than normal. It had been a beautiful house with the evidence of a child in the home; the walls were a powder blue on the top half with walnut panelling on the bottom, a fireplace in the middle. Above the mantle was a familiar family portrait of the man, woman, and a little boy, which was lit by magically glowing portraits of family and friends. Two winged armchairs faced the fire, an ottoman in front of each one, and a smaller version in between. In the chair, there was evidence that the child had been there recently; there in it was a practice wand just like she'd gotten just a few weeks ago. The only difference was that some things were tilted, like someone had wrestled all the way around the room; she and Uncle When she came back from her time with Uncle Tommy, she had to remember to show her the spells he'd taught her.

Along the sides of the fireplace, there were bookshelves, and, on the bottom shelves, brightly colored books that almost beckoned the little girl to come look at them again. From the picture, in which the parents had already left when she and her uncle had come to likely tell someone they'd arrived, a little boy smiled at his friend, but not her uncle, who gave him a bad vibe. He'd watched curiously as his parents had tried to rush him out, but, after losing time they knew they couldn't afford, they'd left, knowing that at least the image of their son was safe. The boy waved hesitantly, and she waved back, beaming. Since he'd known the girl for a while and their parents were friends, he was wondering why she was with a guy he didn't know.

Her uncle was standing in front of a couple she knew her parents were friends with, who were sitting silently and glaring wholeheartedly after a very strong fight, but, from what her uncle had told her, they should be happy. He was sending them on a magical vacation through his wand, and vacations were nice. She had asked him if her Mommy had known what they were doing, but he'd smiled, saying they were surprising her by sending her friend on a nice, long holiday. Her uncle's friend was smirking, rubbing her hands and itching to pull out wand, but, when she'd asked the girl's uncle if she could, he said she should wait.

Kagome's uncle spoke quietly, but his voice seemed to resonate through the small house like the hiss of her uncle's pet as he removed the silencing spell with a wave of his hand. "Stand up." Now that she thought of it, he never let her play with his friends. Darn.

Uncle Frankie, as Kagome had been taught to call Frank Longbottom by her mother, glared at the bane of their existence, his main regret being that he hadn't sent Alice along with Neville to his grandmother's house that day. "Rot in Hell." His second was that he couldn't alter his friend that her precious daughter was in the hands of a monster.

Kagome's eyes widened as the man cursed, then she tugged on his robe. "Uncle Tommy?"

The Dark Lord turned softened, red eyes on his niece, watching his prey in his peripheral vision, "Yes, Kagome?"

Her brown eyes searched his, "Why is he angry if you're just going to send him on vacation, Uncle Tommy? Mommy said Uncle Frankie likes vacations."

Kneeling in front of his niece, Lord Voldemort ruffled Kagome's hair, motioning for Bellatrix to stifle the Longbottoms' cries to their friends' daughter and take them into the corner to stop them from distracting her niece, "Well, Kagome, my job is very important. You and I both know that the Longbottoms are very hardworking people, but I don't like what they do. What they do is bad for what I do, so, when I can, I try to convince them to take vacations and long breaks. If they do that, I can do my job much better. Don't you want to help me, love? Don't you want to help the people we've seen?" The Longbottoms were the sixth family she'd gone with her uncle to see, and, though she'd often asked, she'd never gotten to revisit anyone after they got sent on vacation. Luckily, her uncle was there to help her understand, but she'd felt bad after; who was she to cut short their long holiday?

Kagome smiled, agreeing with the other deaths she didn't yet understand she'd witnessed. In the corner, Bellatrix had meanwhile put a sound barrier around the three of them and begun the torture that would allow her Lord to properly deal with these abominations to the wizarding world. Frank and Alice Longbottom linked hands and, since they could no longer defend themselves as their wands had been taken and broken, said a prayer for their son, Neville, and the daughter of their close friends, Kagome.  
Voldemort moved out from in front of the little girl just in time for Kagome to see pure agony go through the eyes of Alice, then Frank, and she screamed, running into Bellatrix. "NO!" She broke the barrier with her hand, going straight through to fight the woman and using energy she hadn't known she had that burned and scarred the woman's face, and, stopping Auntie and Uncle's pain with something her uncle had taught her for playground scrapes, she collapsed at the feet of Auntie Allie, who, sadly, had already been driven insane. The last thing she did before she passed out was to look at her uncle with truly distraught eyes, asking him without words how he could possibly allow this to happen.

Her uncle sighed, going to reach for her, and was startled when Kagome's mother, his own sister, Apparated in, immediately putting her arms around her kidnapped daughter and her hands on the couple that had been her friends for so long. "Crucio." Voldemort took a deep breath and endured the pain only his younger sister could inflict with a slight grimace, watching as Kagome, the Longbottoms, and Samantha Higurashi Disapparated into the night.

Earlier that evening...

A dark, cloudy night surrounded the three, and they appeared like a happy family... from a distance. In the center, a young girl with her pigtails curled skipped between her uncle and his friend, one hand in each of theirs. Her brown eyes were bright, adjusted to the light, and reflecting her warm, gentle nature as she smiled at the few people she saw. Most people avoided them, and, though she didn't know why, she waved at few she saw, hoping more would come out and play. She didn't know that that was exactly what Uncle wanted.

They hadn't been going far, having appeared in the center of the street and walked to the side. Her uncle knew where they were going, and so did his friend, but Kagome was just happy to be spending time with her uncle. She didn't really know why her Mommy and Daddy didn't really like him, but he was nice to her. He even let her go with him to do his charity work, which is what he called it. He said that certain people deserved what he was giving, and he often told her that his friend was one of the best at what they were doing. He even told her that, when she got older, she could help him with the magic he used and the special magic she had.

On the girl's right, the young woman walked, well, stalked would be a better word. Her long black hair was in ringlets and threatening to look greasy from lack of washing, but she and her lord were unable to stop. They had much work to do before they could stop their work, and, although he'd told her not to bring anything so that they would get a lot done, he'd still stopped to take this little girl and make sure _she _had everything to be comfortable. She was supposedly special enough to inspire confidence in her lord, even rounding the age of five, to get enough effort from him to bring her along. Even though she held the hand of the child, it was only because of her leader. She honestly felt the child was a burden and a liability, as she knew her lord would be irate if something were to happen to her, but Bellatrix said nothing. She knew better than to question him.  
The small group finally arrived at their destination, a small beige house with a black tar roof, but they didn't immediately go in. He set wards around the house so that nothing could get out except the vision of what was going on. No one would be able to leave, but everyone on the street could see. He wanted the terror unbridled; it must be spread to all these muggles who dared house a sympathizer. The little girl watched with amazement as the wand in her uncle's hand put out sparks, then threads, and chains. Her uncle rarely did magic except to show her, and the shows he gave were more powerful than the magic her parents showed her, probably because she was still working on the basics. While Mommy and Daddy wanted her to work her way up, her uncle said she should stretch her powers while she was young so she could use all of them when she got older. Uncle Tommy and her Mommy and Daddy fought a lot, especially about her, but he didn't get to come over much, so when he said Mommy said she could come with him, she was really excited.

The three of them arranged themselves around the door, Bellatrix in front. The door blew down from the force of her spell, and they simply strolled in, the older two having no problem ignoring the screams. The couple's names were not known to the youngest, but she said nothing. Her uncle had already told her these people wouldn't want her speaking while they went on vacation; they already were stressed enough, and words would just frustrate them more. They already didn't want to go, but their minds needed rest. Ever the sweet one, Kagome kept silent as Voldemort and Bellatrix murdered them in cold blood, one in the house and the other on the lawn out front. After a moment of trying to force the barrier to yield, the second slated for death simply turned and faced fate. Then, Voldemort oftered his hand to his young niece, glad that the polyjuice was holding to keep him in his more acceptable form only for her sake; she would be seeing his true face soon, but they had another stop first.

AN: I think I have the pairings for this story, and I'm working on the next chapter. It's almost finished; the waits on the other stories won't be long either. I'd really appreciate some feedback on this story, like what people think of the characterization, is it cliche? (I am hoping not), etc. I deeply apologize for such a long hiatus on my stories.


	2. Chapter 2: In Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor Inuyasha; they are owned by J.K. Rowling and Rumiko Takahashi respectively. I have no claims... I just really, really, _really _like writing for them. Maybe someday, they'll be looking for an apprentice... Oh, well..

AN: This chapter, I tried to make it longer than the last one, simply because the last one was pitifully short in my eyes, even though it laid the groundwork I wanted. Now, I want to warn you that the next chapters that I write will be rife with foreshadowing, simply because I'm working from the middle of the story at the same time that I'm working from the beginning. I fully intend on finishing this story quickly, unlike my other stories, and I have started a plan in motion. Instead of outlining, which I did before, I have skipped straight to writing the story as it comes to me, mainly because, when I outline, I get finished with the story long before any person reading can even get into it. I'm currently in the process of finishing and editing another chapter for the Ouran/Inuyasha, but the other Harry Potter/Inuyasha stories will be on hiatus for a little bit. For this I apologize, and, as a plea bargaining chip, I offer this chapter.

Chapter 2:

Diagon Alley

Sixth year, and it didn't seem to be much different than any the five others for the Golden Trio, for which they were not very grateful at all. The three had been forced to meet in Diagon Alley near the end of the summer instead of earlier, which had put a severe damper on their plan-making abilities, to Hermione's frustration. Hermione hadn't been able to come to the Burrow this summer, as she and her family had travelled to the States for a holiday during the end of the month, and the Weasleys needed to bring the twins in early for ... some reason. The only thing Harry and Ron knew was that the twins would be spending a lot of time with McGonagall, kitchen grease, pliers, and de-sticking charms. While she was gone, she was constantly owling the other two members of the Golden Trio because they'd heard something very horrible. Mr. Weasley had pulled him aside and told him that there was a late arrival to Hogwarts who had a blood link to Voldemort himself.

Then, he continued, saying that one of the inner groups in the Order had pardoned her early on. Harry, who'd given Mr. Weasley a look of plain confusion on his face, was then told about how, for security's sake, the Order was divided into various groups. There were some people in more than one division, but mostly, each person was in a section, generally with a specialty. His mother and father had been in two, each joining their spouse's after marriage, and their personalities had clearly shown through their chosen friends. Lily had been in one with the Longbottoms, the Higurashis, Snape, two more, and another family, all of whom were intellectuals, who, when they took their hair down, were wild and fun. Each had a name they'd picked together, but he couldn't recall it. Perhaps he could ask Dumbledore. He was in most of the factions, but Mr. Weasley couldn't remember.

All the ones in Lily's division that Mr. Weasley could recall were dead or driven insane at Voldemort's hand, except Snape, who, in Harry's mind, was on the fence. James was in one with Lily Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Dumbledore himself, all of whom were wild to begin with. Harry questioned Remus's 'wild' side, but Mr. Weasley said it was a pre-requisite for a Marauder. Dead, dead, on the run, active, traitor, and active. By sheer numbers, it seemed his father was a little more successful, but both their parents had been friends with all the members of both their groups.

The troops, of sorts, knew more about individual works, and, like Secret Keepers, they were the first line of defense if someone was in danger or got hurt. Mr. Weasley's group consisted of many people, including Mrs. Figg, Dumbledore again, and other members, and, each time Voldemort attacked Harry (and, subsequently, Ron), each of them got a notification, either by magical alerts from their wands, which were linked, or by way of portraits. That yearly alarm simply told each of them that the Hogwarts school year was ending, and one or more would go to Dumbledore to check on the Trio, who always seemed to get in a dangerous situation.

Harry'd frowned as Mr. Weasley'd nudged him with a bit of a teasing smile, talking about how he couldn't go one year without a two day hospital wing visit; Harry didn't like the joke, and he honestly felt it was in bad taste, but the boy didn't say anything as he understood anything was lightening the mood. His life hadn't exactly been a joy ride.

Even with Mr. Weasley's horrible jokes, he'd told Ron the development in the stories of his life and the lives that night, which were generally ended abruptly, of those who had tangoed with T. Riddle. Ron, who'd gotten a lecture from Hermione to make sure she stayed updated this time or he'd be talked 'til his ears turned purple again, immediately declared that they should Owl Hermione. Since then, they'd been writing, and they realized that all those people, if they weren't already dead at the time, should have known the night Harry's parents died. Even though he was five when it happened, Harry remembered a frustrating nothing of the night, except for a green light and a scream. Knowing this possible source of clues, they decided to try to find out more about how these bonds worked, first to create one for themselves, then to see if they could use it to extract information form other sources.

Without even having to ask the older members of the Order, Harry had known that no one would tell any of them how to make one of these bonds because they knew 'they would get hurt'. "It's not like we're exactly in the lap of luxurious safety right now," Hermione cried as they tried to make their way through the crowded bar and up the stairs. "Besides, that kind of link would seriously help us. I mean, really, we are in our sixth year at Hogwarts. We can handle advanced magic! We've made a Polyjuice potion!"

"Most of them don't know that," Ron interjected, struggling with the muggle-style key.

"We've used a time turner!" Hermione began pacing through the hall as she ranted.

Ron, who hadn't been in on that particular adventure, huffed. "Well, some of us have, and they don't know that either. If they do, they're bloody good at hiding it."

"We've solved every set of clues that Voldemort has inadvertently left behind," she groaned, swinging the door open.

This time, Harry interrupted, taking the key from a grateful Ron's hand, "They'll say they helped or that they figured it out first. And, in some cases, they did."

Hermione huffed and plopped down in the armchair in front of the fireplace in the boys' room of the Leaky Cauldron, "Well, they didn't do a bloody thing about it. And besides, you've fought him six years; five were back to back, and one you could probably barely even write your own bloody name!" The boys could tell she was getting frustrated as the bushy haired brunette rarely swore. Harry didn't even say anything this time, even though he knew he'd been able to write at five. He just shrugged. He couldn't explain that one.

They talked for a bit longer, then Hermione said she wanted to get her books early, maybe even beginning her research on the groups within the Order. Ron and Harry simply laughed, "Same old Hermione." as they followed her down the stairs. It was mid-August, so they still had a good amount of time before they should see anyone but first years in Diagon Alley.

Hermione in the lead, they were talking, laughing and joking to try to cheer up Hermione, until Hermione bumped into a girl, whose fault it obviously was as she would not raise her head. "Oh, I'm so s-s..." Hermione trailed off as the girl looked at her with large brown eyes revealed by rising bangs. "Sorry."

Kagome made an effort to smile, saying nothing as she immediately recognized Harry. "Not at all, it was my fault. I'm sorry." Hermione returned the smile, and Kagome bitterly thanked years of practice for a perfect fake smile. She'd been looking down to avoid the glare of an older wizard, only to bump into this witch.

Looking closely at the girl, Hermione stuck out her hand, "I don't believe I know you. My name's Hermione Granger. Do you go to Hogwarts? If so, I am so sorry that I didn't recognize you." The girl's long black hair and very unique milk chocolate brown eyes made Hermione wonder if she'd forgotten something. Generally, students around this area of Diagon Alley were from Hogwarts, and, if she'd not remembered this girl after five years, she'd feel terrible no matter how many students were there.

Kagome laughed a bit, calming herself inwardly to make sure her facade stayed in place. "Don't worry about it. I'm new around here. I was doing some... well, Professor Dumbledore called it outside learning, and now I get to come to Hogwarts and learn it from books for a while. It sounds like a welcome change. My name's Kagome." Harry, who'd been suspicious of the girl from a gut feeling, found it very suspicious that the girl did not give her last name when Hermione had, but he seemed to be the only one because soon Hermione had introduced her to Ron and himself, hooked arms with her, and taken her down the strip of stores to help her get her books and wand.

Kagome said that she was supposed to order the review editions of the first five textbooks, since it would be cheaper, and Hermione, who (shockingly) had not known of the existence of these particular wealths of studying knowledge, decided to help her. Ron had also warmed up to her quickly, mainly because she seemed nice and likely reminded him of one of his siblings, and had warned her of Hermione's rigorous and unrepentant study style, to Hermione's frustration and Kagome's amusement. Harry watched this with interest as he couldn't help but to think she felt familiar, like he'd known her before, but he couldn't place her.

For the next few days, Kagome was given tour after tour with the Golden Trio, meeting them in various restaurants, but she adamantly avoided magical things. She wouldn't get her wand, she didn't touch the book for Hagrid's class, which rather understandable because it had a large, blue stinger this year, she refused to get near Harry, especially his scar, and Wizard's chess was an absolute no. Hermione guessed that it was just because of her "outside learning" and lack of formal training, but Harry guessed it was something else that involved her 'lack of a last name'.

"Hey, Kagome?" Hermione, who'd been asking a lot about Kagome's outside learning, was the one who finally convinced Ron that Kagome needed to get used to magic before they got to the school. There was so much magic there that, if she was uncomfortable with it, she wouldn't even be able to get beyond the main doors.

Kagome looked up from her first butterbeer; she hadn't been with Hermione long, but even she knew she was about to say something someone wasn't going to like. "How would you like to go get your wand?" Yup, there it was. She'd been avoiding Ollivander's shop like the plague for multiple reasons. First, he'd say her full name, and her time spent with the Golden Trio would quickly come to an end. Next, she'd gone in there for the first time at the age of three with her parents, who'd been searching for a way to channel her mysterious magic.

Since her grandparents had mischievously refused to tell how they'd dealt with her aunt and father's mysterious powers, Samantha and Toshiro had been on their own in trying to curb their playful daughter's warping of things. First, she'd learned how to change the color of things, then the size. Sweets and oden were growing to massive proportions, toys and games were changing size and color at a dizzying rate, and vegetables were shrinking to the sizes of pinheads, but only Toshiro could do anything about it. Then she managed to make a purifying haze, then sparks. All things being equal though, Toshiro didn't think they'd really needed those curtains... It was very soon decided that Kagome needed a wand. Having a wizarding device in Kagome's hand would allow her magic to be channeled into a form that Samantha could turn back too.

Skipping into Ollivander's shop followed by her parents, a bubbly young Kagome stopped at the old man's feet and beamed up him, "Hello, Mr. Ollivander. My name is..."

"Very nice to meet you as well, young Kagome." Her eyes widened in wonder that he already knew her name. "You're here for a training wand, correct?" She stared in amazement at the man, knowing _for sure_ that he was really magical because he'd also known why she was there. It didn't occur to her that it was a _wand shop, or that she wasn't old enough for a real wand. H_er parents didn't point it out to her, seeing how excited she was. Mr. Ollivander took her by the hand and showed her to the training wand section. Training wands were a little simpler to place since they didn't have to match the witch or wizard's magical signature perfectly; they were just a hold-over to teach simple spells until the children started school. In a pinch, they could be used for defensive and protective spells like Protego, but they were usually just for minor charms and things.

"Here, try this one." He had handed her a wand that was a short wand for a child, made of ash and kneazle fur, and she waved it, shattering the window and glass containers in the store across the street. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise, and she had laid down the wand carefully with both hands, unwilling to wave it again. Mr. Ollivander smiled a little, shaking his head at the girl. She was likely used to magic just happening, but not destructive magic. Her father had confided in him that their magic was strongly tied with emotions when he got his first wand (aged 24), and Kagome was a very cheerful, sweet child. Apparently, though, whimsy and giddiness were not in her nature and future, as that wand could've blown up the shop.

"Apparently not." He tutted, and Kagome smiled, tentatively this time, thanking him as he gave her another. This one was a medium length wand, ivy with a dragon heartstring core. She waved it, and it almost sounded like she'd blown a raspberry. Kagome giggled, waving it again as it started making rude noises ranging from belches to squeaks and toots. Ollivander and her parents stifled their laughter, and the old wandmaker let her play with it until she'd grown tired of it (all of two and a half minutes) and handed it back.

"I guess that's a no, huh?" Her grin had told him she wouldn't have really minded if it were a yes, but he nodded, "Correct."

Mr. Ollivander put his finger to his chin, thoughtfully walking through the short aisle of training wands, only to look behind him and see Kagome doing the same, giggling guiltily when caught. "What about this one?" He pulled it off the shelf and out of the box, smiling warmly at the small girl, and bent low to give it to her. At three, she was rather short, but she was energetic, almost jumping to reach the wand before he got to her. She was so excited, and waved the wand of ash and unicorn hair, which should've gone well because of her pure heart and healing abilities. Should have. Ollivander chuckled softly at the quiet apology and sheepish look on the sweet young girl's face, waving his wand to put all, yes all, the training wands back on the shelves. It appeared that this wand was a little too giddy.

"Hmm, I have a hunch..." He trailed off as he walked to the back of the shop, returning with a small box. This wand was holly, also medium length, but it had a very rare core. As Kagome's magic was part spiritual, Ollivander had wondered why he shouldn't try a wand with a dual core as well: the powerful chimera scale shavings and a hair supposedly from a young demon. Now, Ollivander had never had any confirmation of this rumored origin, and it was rather uncommon to try a regular wand with a child so young, but he wanted to see. If it worked, he could find a training wand for this little girl with much less difficulty, and he'd know which wand to get in eight years when she returned. He didn't hand this wand to her, much to her confusion, but instead placed it on the seat of a chair she could easily reach. At his nod, she opened the box and picked it up, her eyes widening in surprise at the warm feeling that reminded her of her mother's hot cocoa, good friends, warm hugs, and her teddy bear. Mr. Ollivander smiled wisely and nodded, her parents watching with slight trepidation, trying not to beg him not to sell it to them. Just think, if she could do that much magic without a wand...

Mr. Ollivander, electing to feign obliviousness at her parents' fear, asked Kagome to put the wand back in the box, wrote her name neatly on the front, re-shelved it, and easily found her a training wand that made rainbow sparks, just like a training wand should. This trainer, holly and chimera would be a good start for the young witch though it was very powerful, allowing her to progress into the protective and powerful wand she was meant to have. As she waved the wand around, drawing rainbows that stayed in the air for a good bit longer than they should've, her parents paid.

"Excuse me?" The old man looked curiously at Kagome's mother, "I know that wands not only tell something about the person, but also about their path. Is- Is that wand saying she's going to be... what does it say?" Mr. Ollivander watched Samantha Riddle, now Higurashi, and couldn't help but feel a little proud. The girl had come into his shop right on time for a half-blood girl, on her eleventh birthday in fact, to get a smooth hawthorn wood wand with a unicorn core, much unlike her older brother, that told of her very pure and curious nature. She, unlike most of his customers, had even returned to speak with him each year about what her wand was doing, what wands were generally like, how she could improve, etc. Her own brother had asked her to find out the information, as she was much less known than he, and he obviously couldn't be seen asking for such basic information, but she'd been interested herself as well. After her third year, she'd asked, not only for wand information, but for wand lore and good books to read throughout the year. Knowing the girl as well as he did, he rather liked her Ravenclaw-like curiosity, even though she'd been sorted into Gryffindor, and he was rather happy with the way she turned out, so he couldn't help but to answer honestly, as a nod to the fact that she probably was using him as a cross-reference.

"Well, yes, the wand says something about her future." Sam had frowned at the vague beginning, not liking where this was going. "Her wand tells of a life of strength of character, and of mind, and of tasks that require such strength. It tells that she will face many challenges for which she will need both her magics, and she will be forced to combine them in a way never before seen, like the core itself of her wand. Never before was I able to create a wand of such opposing forces, but, I suppose that for her, I could. The same goes for her life. Does that answer your question?" Samantha nodded, eyes on Kagome. Her little girl had gone to her father after realizing that Mr. Ollivander and her mother would be busy for a few minutes, and she was asking him to show her minor things with the wand. Having only recently understood magic, Toshiro knew exactly the kind of magic that Kagome should, and that was the extent of his wand magic, so that was what he taught. By the time Samantha looked over, Kagome had learned Lumos and could shoot a stream of water, but was still working on levitation. She sighed and smiled, thanked Mr. Ollivander, and cleared her throat. Her husband smiled, standing straight and taking first her hand, then their daughter's.

Now, as Hermione led the very hesitant Kagome towards the wand shop, she was dreading the reactions. From what she's heard about Harry, he now had an explosive temper, likely from being unable to find the answers he so desperately tried to attain, while Ron was more the type to get red, puff up, and storm off. The worst, she knew, would likely be Hermione. She could deal with the fact that Ron wouldn't trust her; that was okay. She could even manage to get over the fact that Harry, who should've trusted her more than anyone, wouldn't, but Hermione had been so nice and trusting from the very start that it would make her feel like the monster they believed she was. She sighed; even after doing this so long, it didn't get any easier.

Ron, in a very gentleman-like fashion, opened the door for the girls first, playfully letting it swing at Harry. "Aww, thanks, mate." Harry spoke sarcastically, smirking at Ron before turning his attention back to Kagome. She seemed to be getting more nervous as they had gotten closer to the shop, only to stand awkwardly in there, as if she were waiting for something terrible to happen while keeping on a brave front by chatting with Hermione. Recalling his own experience with the eccentric old man, he couldn't honestly fathom what could be wrong unless she was as suspicious as she was acting, but, as Mr. Ollivander worked with a first year, he knew he'd find out soon.

The old wandmaker finished up with the eleven-year old, bidding the boy and his parents a good day before turning to his next customer. He'd heard them enter, and, while Hermione called Kagome by name, it ddin't appear she knew the whole thing from the carefree smile on her face. Alistair Ollivander had been called old, eccentric, even a bit crazy, but he'd never been called unobservant, and, as he watched the four teens, immediately recognizing each of them in turn, he saw apprehension rolling off Kagome in waves. Young Harry had grown up from the gangly eleven year old who'd stumbled into his shop six years ago, and the subtle but hardened look on his face told that he'd grown much more than a normal six years. Ron and Hermione were waiting patiently, albeit curious. It seemed that the werewolf's idea had indeed brought them to a happier place, but was it a better one? Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly to prepare himself, he approached the group.

"Ronald, very good to see you, young man. I hope you haven't broken another wand... Hermione, as always, it's a pleasure. Harry, I hope that wand of yours is treating you well. Last, not certainly not least, little Kagome, you're all grown up, and I'd guess that you'd like your wand now." Mr. Ollivander spoke with a warm smile to the girl closest to him, addressing each of the others as well. Harry said nothing, noting silently that Mr. Ollivander, who was usually very formal with last name usage, had reverted to first names, even after calling the first year 'Mr. Daniels'. Mr. Ollivander, seemingly oblivious to Harry's questioning gaze, bustled Kagome through the shop, putting her through the motions of finding her wand. Not even bothering to pretend that he needed to find one, he instead guided her around, asking her if she recalled where he'd put that box.

Once they reached the back of the shelves, however, he dropped the act. "They don't know, do they, Miss Higurashi?" She shook her head sadly, and he nodded, patting her on the shoulder. She smiled a little, taking the offered wand, and following him back to the front of the store. She kept silent on the way, smiling a little when Hermione gave her a wink and a smile, but she knew it probably wouldn't last. Kagome paid for the wand from her money, ignoring Hermione's questioning glance for the moment. She waved it experimentally, just out of curiosity. Remembering the warm, comforting feeling from before, she was happy to feel a similar feeling, only this one was slightly different. It felt like someone giving her a hug; more specifically, she felt like she was being held first by her mother then father. Her eyes widened as she smiled softly, first at the wand then at Ollivander, who seemed to understand exactly what'd just happened.

Hermione watched the look that washed over Kagome's face with awe and curiosity, recalling a book about wands and how people responded to them. It said that some felt comforted, some felt exhilarated, some even felt aroused to feel the wand fit perfectly with their own magic, allowing them to increase their potential, channel energies, and do things some didn't believe possible. As a muggle-born, she'd researched everything she could ever find about magic, trying to understand why it did what it did, but Kagome's expression was like all the books rolled into one. As the girl shook off the feeling and smiled at the wandmaker, Hermione saw a small glow that surrounded her, pale blue, flow through the wand and back into her hand, as though it were a finally completed puzzle.

Ron and Harry watched silently, almost afraid to break the silence, but were almost stunned into speech when Kagome hugged Mr. Ollivander before waving and herding them out the door. "Do you know him, Kagome?" It was the first question Harry had asked Kagome, and the tone in which he did answered her mental question as to why. She watched him for a minute, half listening to Hermione as she plotted out the next leg of their journey, trying to decide between going to the pet shop first or Madam Malkin's robe shop.

"I met him when I was younger. My parents took me in when I was little because my magic... well, it developed quickly with a sense of mischief, I suppose you could say. My mother was a witch, and she firmly believed in the training wand." Quick to turn from Harry, she turned her attention to Hermione, bumping her lightly with her hip to get her attention. "I already have a pet, Hermione. I doubt she'd appreciate another pet, especially something that might mess up her fur." Harry frowned at the short answer, but he didn't speak of it because 1) this was the first information that she'd given about her parents, and 2) Hermione now was interested both in training wands and Kagome's cat.

Hermione hooked Kagome's arm, taking her down the path toward Madam Malkin, and things were going beautifully... until the woman charged Kagome and took her into a hug, shouting her name. "What?" Hermione's eyes widened, Ron's face reddened, and Harry's eyes narrowed. Kagome sighed quietly, trying not to feel disappointment as Hermione looked at her with hurt eyes. They'd obviously heard her name before, but, since the robemaker fussed over her, talking about how she'd grown so much, she had such a nice shape, and she'd grown up so well, she had very little chance to explain herself until they were waiting on her to pay.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't say anything. I'm sorry that I deceived you. I'm sorry that he's my uncle." Her face was calm, but her eyes went directly to Hermione, almost begging her to forgive her, but Harry stepped forward, between the two. "How do we know you aren't working for him? How do we know you don't live with him? For all we know, you could be trying to lead us, me, directly to him. You could be his right hand!" She stared blankly for a moment, as though these words didn't make sense to her, but then frustration, irritation, and sheer anger began to take over.

Refusing to strike him because she knew his past, Kagome took a deep, calming breath, but was still furious when she finished. "I'm not, I don't, and I'm not. I would never hurt you guys, and, even without knowing me for years, I would hope that you'd understand that. If you don't, well, I'm sorry. No, I'm not. I won't lie to you; I'm not sorry if you don't believe me because that means that you aren't the kind of person I want to deal with then." Then, in a huff, she walked down the alley toward the bank. If they wanted to meet her again, they'd have to find her once she'd cooled down.

"Mate, I think you should've given her a chance."

"And let her have her shot at killing me? We tried that. Remember Quirrel, Moody, Umbridge, Pettigrew... you get my point?" Harry glared after her, deciding to owl Mr. Weasley later and tell him about the girl. Ron and Hermione were silent for a long moment before agreeing; they took enough risks. The Order'd need as much information about her as they could get; she seemed very powerful.

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End file.
